Sir, – Over the last 50 years that we have lived in Farnham there have been changes, not all to the benefit of the population as a whole, some of which were beyond our control, but some of which have been our own fault. I highlight two here: Firstly, the pollution in the Borough and West Street in particular and the town centre in general. We have two single and one quadruple main crossings available for pedestrian control; these are used indiscriminately (if you don't believe this, stand outside Boots and count the number of stops in an hour on an average weekday).

The air quality could be improved by elimination of fumes from cars; this could be achieved by synchronising the traffic lights through the town, preferably back into the centre from the intersection with the lights at Hickley's Corner. The cost and disruption would be minimal compared with any other solution predicated by our local representatives (even if it were to be the same as changing a light-bulb in an NHS hospital!).

Jaywalking is also a local pastime – within the last two months I have observed a woman with two dogs hesitating in the middle of the carriageway between two lanes of heavy traffic and, worse, a young woman with a baby in a pushchair doing the same. Those delays caused are our own faults, it is just too easy to push the crossing button for individual use instead of waiting for a few others, or to wander across instead of walking a few extra yards to use the crossings. Those of us who have travelled to Italy, France and Spain will have noticed that the citizens of these countries, (not always outstanding for their acceptance of central control!) stand obediently at pedestrian crossings until the synchronised lights allow them to cross. The same applies in the USA and Australia.

Secondly, the present problem with schools' admissions. We used to have two schools within easy reach of the town centre (the two "Grammar Schools") and another within relatively easy reach of the villages to the south (Key Cross). Two of these were turned into "Middle", subsequently "Junior", schools and one into a Sixth Form College; there was only one of these over which our local representatives had no control (namely the Girls' Grammar School) because it is the property of Surrey County Council (and even this had at least one locally appointed chairman of governors).

Farnham College, an ancient foundation, belongs to the Farnhamian Trust, who chose to lease the site to an offshoot of Guildford College, when they could have allowed it to be used as an extra secondary school. (This action took place as recently as 2008, when the lack of secondary places for local children was already apparent). Similarly Key Cross, a Church of England secondary school, became Waverley Abbey school, thereby forcing the secondary pupils from the outlying villages to travel into Weydon – a journey which for many required the use of a car.

Intelligent extension of existing primary schools could have avoided this. (No criticism of the excellent primary education which exists under the present heads is intended – but they do not require specific buildings to underpin their qualities.) In at least two cases former primary schools have been sold off for residential use and one secondary school (Robert Haining) sold to a private (Canadian) school.

All these acts took place with the connivance or instigation of the education committee of Surrey County Council. These people are our elected representatives; at the time they quoted "demographic trends" (ie a fall in the numbers of certain age-groups) without, I suspect, consulting the then current birth-rate and projecting it forward 10 years and without taking cognisance of the building development of housing suited to young families.

Add to this the 9,000 units being built by Aspire on the Aldershot barracks site, (reduced, incidentally from 10,000 so that Rushmoor Council will not be forced to provide an extra secondary school,) and the situation on the Surrey/Hampshire boundary can only worsen.

We elect these people; if they can neither give our children a decent education within reach of their homes nor ensure a pollution-free local environment without breaking the bank, we ought, perhaps to make our feelings felt via the ballot-box. Alas, both political parties and some local "worthies" are guilty of lack of interest in these cases. There is, in the record books, a description of a public protest meeting which took place on Tilford Green in, I seem to remember, 1927! Its subject was education of children. Perhaps the time for non-violent protest is again with us.

Name and address supplied, Farnham